Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1887-10-27
MY ROMANCE.
Why and How It Turned Out Very
Happily.

Happily.
Bess had just run out of tie room. She
said she did not feel like listening to Aunt
Margaret, whose dress we could hear
swish, swishing, along the hall. Truth to
tell, ], too, would have enjoyed being left
to my own devices. The quiet, the fire.
light, and the perfume of the rose Bess,
my counsin, had left behind her, mingled
into charm it were wicked to break by
any thing but dreams.
With my arms above my head, and my
hair hanging loose, had been indulging
in sentimental "reminiscences, until in
terrupted by Bess, quarter of an hour
ago. 1 had been raking the embers from
an old fret was still burning. That all
happened six years ago. / was we'll
enough to look at then, though my hair
was red and my eyes black; and, for that
matter, am still. l had a little money of
my own, not enough to attract fortune
hunters, but a snug little income never.
theless. Happy days-happy me! For
aoas happy then; my smiles were mostly
broad grins, and
All the world was young. lad,
And all the trees were green.
had had faculty of saying sharp
things and being unreasonable, and he
was quick tempered and prouder than
Lucifer-riold tout!
Life had shrunk and faded nightly
since we parted. My little fortune went
to swell the bubble of specializing
guardian, and when it broke. l set about
teaching school in Gingertown. Six years
spent in the society of the Gingertown
young idea, is calculated to have a most
depressing effect, especially when one
braves the opposition of scores of uncles,
cousins and aunts, and persistently sticks
to it Aunt Margaret is determined to
marry me off, and her strongest motive in
asking me up for the holiday fortnight is
based on her desire of securing success
full denouement to her deep-laid schemes.
Since she came in she has made a few
remarks apropos of nothing, and sits pen.
sively regarding her lace ru flies. She had
no end of style, and her perfect manners
have gone long ways toward making
her boarding house a fashionable and
financial success. Did I forget to men.
tion that Bess and are
making our visit in boarding house;
There is nothing the least bit boarding
housey about Aunt Margaret's elegant
establishment, and believe it is not gen
orally alluded to as boarding house, bu,
I call a spade a spade. It is a dreadful
characteristic, but I was born with this
gift for plain talk, and expect it to be
counted more as misfortune than fault
Aunt Margaret regards me as a trifle
vulgar. Aunt Margaret, after six years
of Gingertown, would not have that re.
pose of manner which characterized the
De veres and the Fords herself, but
should never dream of telling her so.
"what lovely hair you have. Kathe
rine," she says, turning her head to see
me WELD the hair brush with a vigorous
arm.
ssIf you like red. Do I look tw9ye~six
Aunt Margaretg"
The freight flickers so across my face il
is hard to distinguish crows feet and
wrinkles; and Aunt Margaret consider
ately gives me the benefit of the doubt.
81 am pretty we'll preserved-so is a
mummy; but that is certainly an odious
comparison"
ssMr. Harris admires you very much.
am gazing at the darned sleeve of the
old black silk 1 am about to put on, and
curl my lip. / don't like darned sleeves
or Robinson Crusoe, as Bess and 1 call
Mr. Harris, on occount of his evidently
having been intended for a desert island
Some men never meet their destiny, and
Harris has yet to find his island.
sI shall never admire him." I rejoin,
with vehemence. 81 like man with q
natural growth of hair on his head, and a
nose that is not a curiosity for shapeless.
ness"
Robinson Crusoe's does not stand out
from his face at all; it is simply spread
between his cheeks.
'sAtyo age, and in your circumstances,
Katherine, money is money"
Sand a nose, a nose. 1 don't care if he
is almost a millionaire. And l nereT
could care for a hide and leather man."
This was my vulgar way OF abiding to
his business. Aunt Margaret gave her
shoulders shrug.
"You have not enough romance in your
composition to make 1T at all likely that
YOU will ever marry Tor love. Now, there
is Bess, all romance, just your opposite
"Perhaps she could fancy your Harris
] reply, maiiciously.
ssNonsense, Katherine; Mr.. Harris is not
SO dreadful. I am a little anxious about
Bess, I confess. I believe the foolish little
thing is in love. Haven't you observed q
restraint in her manner, a signing, senti-
mental way of gazing at nothing lately,
that would indicate such state OF at
fairs?"
Haven't noticed any thing particularly
spooney, and yet she IS changed"
had not thought of her being in love. ]
have finished draping the black lace on
my neck, as artistically as I know how,
and surprised and little startled, per-
.haps, at Aunt Margaret's discovery, re-
sumo my chair opposite her.
'sHe is not fortune-hunter, I am sure OF
that, and his family is as good as her
own"
This was great deal for Aunt Margaret
O. r. %In%
about sshim."
"He depends on his wits for living.
Writes for magazines, gets up reviews and
don't know what all. They tell mo he
is bound to rise. He has been with me